1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for washing articles with a liquid solvent, and more particularly, to a general parts washer providing for recycling of contaminated, dirty solvent during a timed recycling process to produce pure, non-contaminated solvent on a regular basis for use in washing parts during maintenance, repair, and rebuilding operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
During maintenance, repair and rebuilding operations in virtually all industrial and commercial environments, it is necessary to wash a wide variety of parts and articles in order to remove grease, oil, dirt and other contaminants. Typically, volatile solvents are used in almost all small parts cleaning operations as they have been found to be most effective in removing grease and other accumulated residue from metal parts and other articles.
In order to facilitate washing of various parts with a volatile solvent, such as a hydrocarbon or halogenated hydrocarbon, there is presently available a sink which is removably supported on top of a 55 gallon drum filled with cleaning solvent. A pump is provided which pumps the solvent from the drum to a spicket in the sink where it is used to rinse parts. From the sink, the solvent is drained back into the drum. During washing operations, the solvent becomes immediately contaminated after the first use. However, the contaminated solvent is continuously used during cleaning operations until a next scheduled solvent replacement, which is usually on a monthly basis. The regular replacement of contaminated solvent is ordinarily provided by a service, which also supplies the washing apparatus, on a service contract basis. To replace the solvent, the sink is removed from the drum containing the contaminated solvent and is placed on another drum containing fresh solvent. The contaminated drum of solvent must then be taken away and disposed of in a manner complying with EPA contaminant disposal guidelines. This procedure is inefficient, costly and time consuming, leaving a busy manufacturing or repair facility with no other alternative than to perform parts cleaning operations using dirty, contaminated solvent between scheduled solvent replacement dates.
Various types of systems and apparatus have been proposed and/or developed for cleaning metal parts and like articles using volatile solvents. In many applications, the solvent is heated to produce vapors. The various articles to be cleaned are either bathed in the vapors or in a condensed stream of volatile solvent. Some of these various apparatus systems are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: Chizinsky, U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,729; Laroche, U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,147; McCord, U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,634; Boynton, U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,949; and Koblenzer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,323. Generally, all of the cleaning apparatus disclosed in these patents include a base reservoir where the solvent is contained and heated to produce vapors. As the vapors rise, they are condensed to a liquid solvent which drips back down into the base reservoir. Articles placed within the various apparatus are cleaned by either the rising vapor or the condensed solvent. In any event, the solvent in the reservoir accumulates contaminates in a short period of time and, eventually, the contaminated solvent must be removed, properly disposed of and replaced with clean solvent. Therefore, there still exists the problem associated with the time and expense of contaminate disposal.
Accordingly, there is a definite need in all industries requiring parts cleaning during maintenance, manufacturing, repair and rebuilding operations, for a parts washing apparatus including a sink or basin for washing parts with a volatile solvent and means for recycling the solvent to provide pure, non-contaminated solvent on a daily basis.